WEEDCAST.NEThttp://www.weedcast.net
Just another WordPress weblogSat, 20 May 2017 04:31:15 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.12Things You Should Know About Reverse Cell Phone Numbers!http://www.weedcast.net/things-you-should-know-about-reverse-cell-phone-numbers.html
Sat, 20 May 2017 04:31:15 +0000http://www.weedcast.net/?p=562Have you been receiving an unknown call? Someone is trying to annoying you with mystery calls and since it’s a cell phone number so it’s a bit tricky to find out the information for this number. Cell phone numbers aren’t available publicly .Then how can you find out that person’s details if you only have his number. Don’t think too much because reverse cell phone number site is a perfect solution for your problem.

We all don’t want to receive unknown calls because a call while you are busy or not at the position of receiving, may irritate you. Someone, you can say it a prank caller is calling you and you are in green dark since you don’t know how to find a cell phone details.

Nevertheless, now I am going to reveal the way to identify the mysterious caller by reverse cell phone numbers sites. Yes, it is now possible and you can do it too. Until a couple of days ago it was not allow to lookup a cell phone number details since cell phone details are prohibited by mobile companies for several privacy reasons of their mobile subscribers. Since people need to find entire details of a telephone or cell phone number for many reasons and sometimes it becomes very critical situation if you don’t have any way to find about a cell phone number’s details and it may commit a crime as well before you realize any thing about the criminal.

Due to the existence of reverse cell phone numbers, it is now possible to find all the details of a mobile number. You just need to choose a good service for you number search and if the number is available in their database then you can download whole cell phone report within a few second after becoming a member of these sites. These services can also be used for telephone numbers since white page or public directories can only provide you some information about a phone number. In order to get entire details of phone or cell number, you suppose to use a good service for reverse number lookup.

Now you might be thinking about a service to use but don’t know where to actually go for, to get a quality and trustable service then visit the following site to do your reverse cell lookup.

]]>Women’s Healthhttp://www.weedcast.net/womens-health.html
Mon, 29 Oct 2012 15:48:15 +0000http://www.weedcast.net/?p=552Last week I learned in my Nutrition class that HDL stands for High Density Lipoproteins and are heathy for me. I also learned that LDL stand for Low Density Lipoproteins and are less healthy for me. Can you explain exactly what a High Density Lipoprotein and a Low Density Lipoprotein are and why HDL is healthy and why LDL can be unhealthy?

A high amount of low density lipoprotein [LDL-Cholesterol] signals that there are too many carriers transporting cholesterol to your artery walls. Therefore the nutrition goal is to limit saturated and trans fats by limiting full-fat dairy products, red meats, poultry skin, stick margarine, cookies, crackers and fast food French fries. You also should maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly.

A low amount of high density lipoprotein [HDL-Cholesterol] on the other hand indicates too few carriers are transporting cholesterol away from artery walls. Regular exercise can help raise HDL to a point but genetics also has a role. Follow your physicianвЂ™s advice regarding improving your cholesterol profile, but healthy eating is always a good idea!

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]]>Gapping Generationshttp://www.weedcast.net/gapping-generations.html
Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:17:50 +0000http://www.weedcast.net/?p=548I’ve never been a big believer in the philosophy of the so-called “generation gap.” Although it would explain a few insignificant differences in trivial matters such as music (I’m not crazy about the lyrics in many of the songs today) and decorating preferences (photos of my Mother’s old orange curtains make me gag), generally similarities prevail, and the things that I consider important are the same as those of generations of women before me. And thus, I have scoffed at this “generation gap” ideology in the past, wondering who on earth had the time to separate people into such silly little slots. That is, until the other day…

I love my aunt Hannah. My mother’s sister, she is warm, kind and understanding, and I have always felt lucky that we remain so close. So when she called to come for a visit, I was enormously pleased. I did, however, remember to give her my standard company speech and warn her over the telephone that while of course she was welcome, she should be prepared for the disastrous state of my home.

With a demanding full-time career and a mischievous toddler, my priorities do not include straightening the stack of newspapers that still sits unread upon my kitchen table, nor do I think twice about the blocks of Legos that span one end of the house to the other. “No matter,” she brushed off my warnings, “I know that you’re really busy.” I didn’t think about it again. Apparently, I should have.

Enlarged, horrified pupils could hardly be disguised as Auntie Hanna stepped over toys and entered my kitchen. I could almost feel the wave of surprise when she looked at the empty package of frozen fish sticks that I hadn’t yet deposited into the garbage, and the morning’s coffee still sitting, cold, in the pot. “Oh,” I tried to explain, “I haven’t had time to clean up.” I tried to assuage her with a detailed explanation. “Samuel and I have been playing ‘Ring Around the Rosy’ for the past half hour.” But she wouldn’t be appeased. I then became mortified when she refused to move the pile of children’s books from the couch to sit down, and instead clucked her tongue loudly and started to clean my kitchen.

The whole evening was truly enlightening. Not because I absorbed any of the “time management” tips that she strongly suggested, but because I finally began to think that perhaps there is indeed such a thing as this “Generation Gap” beast.

In my aunt’s day, it was generally accepted that the woman would stay home and take care of the house and the children, which is a position that I envy. Pondering those picturesque days, reminiscent of the occasional ’50s reruns and Norman Rockwell paintings, I can’t say that I wouldn’t have enjoyed it. But, for many women, things these days are a bit different. And, although I could only describe my life as a busy, wonderful, spinning vortex, I barely keep afloat with my many roles. Certainly, after a day away from my son, falling on the floor in a fit of giggles takes precedence over dusting my picture frames.

And yet, somehow, the women from my mother’s generation truly believe that “it all” should be done. But it can’t. Perhaps by their bedsides, copies of magazines from the ’80s are piled up, the ones that have fortified a cruel belief in the “superwoman syndrome.” It is a myth. And trust me when I say I have tried.

When I went back to work after my maternity leave, I attempted, wholeheartedly, to create wholesome, well-balanced dinners made from scratch. The result: less time with my family. I tried, courageously, to clean the house from top to bottom after my son went to sleep. The result: absolute, utter exhaustion. And so, believing there was something fundamentally wrong with my scheduling skills, I invested a fortune in time-management books. The result: infinite lists that further cluttered my environment.

With a bit of experience now, and a clearer picture of the kind of woman I need to be (much more complex than “the woman with the clean house and the fresh bread”), I have thrown away my expectations for a spotless, Martha Stewart house, and each week, ahead of the mayhem.

From a marketing perspective, the degree of comfort people have about exercising in an environment that is accepting of their present physical capabilities holds an important clue for why a portion of the deconditioned population feels intimidated about using health clubs. Inactive individuals who were intimidated by worksite facilities and health clubs were also less comfortable with their bodies, indicating that they may also be more sensitive to being around others who are in better shape than they are.

Since worksite facilities appear to have no participant or activity stereotype, there are no negative images due to present members, but there are also no images that might let the intimidated, deconditioned population know that the facility is geared toward all types of people. It is important, therefore, that worksite facilities develop an activity and participant stereotype that sends an inviting message to the intimidated, deconditioned population.

People who feel intimidated by exercise facilities will need reassurance that even though they are not in good physical condition, they are still capable of doing exercise. They also need to know that in-shape individuals are focussed on themselves and not on evaluating others. In fact, they are usually accepting of people trying to improve their health. Helping deconditioned individuals feel more confident about their potential athletic abilities can be done through three promotional strategies — classical conditioning, operant conditioning and vicarious learning.

Classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is when a neutral stimulus conditions certain behaviors. Generally these behaviors are involuntary in nature and therefore not under conscious control of the individual. Emotions (remember that feelings of intimidation is an emotional response) appear to follow the principles of classical conditioning. For example, when a product that people have neutral or even negative feelings for is repeatedly advertised during exciting sports events, it is believed possible for the product to eventually generate excitement on its own solely because of its attachment to the exciting event.

Using classical conditioning in advertising requires pairing a stimuli that elicits positive emotions from the target markets with the facility. Sexy voices and bodies are common classical conditioning strategies used by some health clubs, and do work on certain segments of the population. For many inactive consumers, such ads may work because they elicit negative emotions that may drive them into an exercise facility to get into shape. But it will drive others away, so be careful with this strategy. Many older consumers are concerned with remaining in good health, and not with attaining a sexy image. Pairing images of active older people enjoying life in an exciting environment with exercise facilities may be a classical conditioning marketing strategy that has a broader appeal.

Operant conditioning. Operant conditioning deals with behaviors that are assumed to be under conscious control of the individual. Operant behaviors are driven by the belief that certain consequences (positive or negative) will occur as a result of undertaking a behavior. Worksite facilities often use this strategy by offering a reward, such as cash, when their employees exercise regularly. Removing aversive stimuli can also influence behavior. For example, if by exercising in a facility a person will lose weight, reduce their cholesterol or slow bone loss, then some people are more likely to exercise on a regular basis.

Shaping is another operant conditioning concept that advertisers use to encourage product usage. Usually shaping involves the positive reinforcement of behaviors that come closer and closer to the ultimate desired behavior. For example, to encourage people to join a facility, they can be offered a reward for visiting the club. Once there, the probability that they will join is increased. Some gyms participate in a Toys-for-Tots program where people can become interested in joining the facility while dropping off toys. However, if the time is taken to attract potential members to a facility by using a shaping strategy, facilities also should take the time to ensure these consumers stay once they join.

Vicarious learning. Basically, vicarious learning relies on the principle that people tend to imitate the behavior of others because it leads to positive outcomes. Conversely, they will avoid the behavior of others when they see that it leads to negative consequences. When it comes to exercise facility marketing, the most common form of vicarious learning is overt modeling. Potential members observe a model (usually with a perfect, desirable body) using the facility, and the implied consequence is that if they work out, they will attain a similarly desirable body. Advertisers who use this strategy, though, must be sensitive to the relationship between the characteristics of the observers, the characteristics of the model and the characteristics of the modeling cues themselves. Unfortunately, vicarious learning is exactly how potential consumers have developed negative stereotypes about exercise facilities. If overt modeling is used to market an exercise facility, remember that people may feel more intimidated about the facility if models are incompatible with the target market.

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]]>The Intimidation Factor. Part 4http://www.weedcast.net/the-intimidation-factor-part-4.html
Tue, 16 Oct 2012 08:35:30 +0000http://www.weedcast.net/?p=540People who have not worked out for a while have a poor assessment of their physical capabilities and their present physical state. In other words, long-term-inactive consumers appear to relate not working out with deterioration in their physical capabilities and present physical state. They believe that this, in turn, will cause them considerable unease if they work out in the typical exercise facility. Those with a shorter period of inactivity were less intimidated. Eventually, inactive consumers believe they are incapable of more than the most basic types of exercise. This explains why walking in private and using a stairclimber or stationary bicycle are popular choices with most long-term inactive people who begin exercising again. More complex and physically demanding sports such as tennis, skiing or windsurfing, or even exercising in public, are not comfortable options.

Personal assessments of whether individuals can handle the type of exercise offered depends to some extent on their degree of being overweight. Overweight people are likely to feel less sure about the type of exercise they can handle. Simply being overweight, however, is not the main problem. It depends on the degree of discomfort people feel about the present state of their physique. The more uncomfortable they feel, the more likely they are to believe they are in poor cardiovascular condition. Being shy about displaying their bodies in a public situation like an exercise facility, adds to feelings of intimidation. Overall, the general athletic self-image of people who feel uncomfortable about their physique appears quite low.

In the case of health clubs (but not worksite-based facilities), people assess the typical member, compare this with their present physical capabilities and physical state, and determine if they will fit in. However, this is not a significant factor for worksite-based facilities where consumers will assess how they will fit in based on their level of comfort with the exercises offered.

How people assess their physical condition is an important factor to feelings of intimidation. Consumers assess their physical condition from their body shape — specifically their perceived degree of being overweight. The degree of being overweight and the perception of physical capabilities go hand-in-hand, since this appears to provide people with clues as to what type of activity they are capable of doing. Health clubs are giving these consumer markets the notion that the type of activity offered is geared toward people who are young and in shape. Worksite facilities do not appear to have this problem since it is not the participants but the perceived type of activity offered and their ability to do it that is the intimidating factor.

These findings offer a possible psychological explanation for the intimidation that comes from beliefs that being out of shape means having less physical capabilities. Psychologically, everyone has an inherent drive to maintain a positive view of themselves. Thus, every effort will be made for self-enhancement and promotion, and situations that could potentially threaten a positive self-view will be avoided. The perception of lacking the necessary physical capabilities, which will be obvious to observers, provides a motivation to avoid that situation. If people perceive they are in poor physical condition, and have a low opinion of their athletic ability, they will look for the type of activity they think they can physically do without embarrassing themselves. A perceived environment of young, in-shape individuals will be intimidating. When people are also shy about displaying their bodies, this adds to their apprehension about the exercise environment. It also compounds the marketing problem that must be addressed.

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Present research assesses how images intimidate people into not working out in an exercise facility.b Two common types of facilities have been researched: health and sports clubs and worksite-based facilities.

Results of this research incorporated questionnaire responses from two sets of respondents 18 years and older. One sample included the general population from across the country. This group was used to measure the impact of the six representations on feelings of intimidation about using health and sports clubs (n=414). The other sample comprised employees of companies based in the Chicago area that provided on-site fitness facilities (n=312). (See Table 2 for a more complete description of the samples.)

The questionnaire was designed to help us assess the following:

1) The effect of the six categories of symbols on intimidation about working out in a health club and a worksite facility.

2) How the symbols projected by the perceived typical participant affected feelings of intimidation.

3) How the symbols projected by the type of activity at an exercise facility impacted feelings of intimidation.

Since being overweight influenced a consumer’s feelings of intimidation, subjects were asked to assess how much they were overweight and the degree of comfort they had with their bodies. Three additional questions dealt with the degree of apprehensiveness people felt about their body when they were in public.

Subjects responded to each question on a five-point scale (strongly disagree, somewhat disagree, unsure, somewhat agree and strongly agree). Feelings of intimidation were also measured on the same five-point scale by asking respondents to indicate their level of agreement with the following statement: I would not feel intimidated about working out there.

Table 1 presents the questions asked on the questionnaire. The questions were the same for the worksite facility and the health club sample.

Discussion of findings

The six images that consumers interpreted to assess their level of intimidation with exercise facilities fell into two broad clusters.

One group of images reflected the perception consumers had of their present physical capabilities. Within this category, age, feeling comfortable with the activity offered and feeling that they could physically handle the activity were important evaluative criteria of their present physical capabilities. Individuals who believed the projected images of exercise facilities indicated acceptance of someone with their present physical capabilities did not feel intimidated by health clubs or worksite exercise facilities.

The second group of images related to the perception consumers had of their present physical state. Assessment of present physical state depended upon their perceived level of skill, level of knowledge, body shape and cardiovascular condition. Individuals who believed that images projected by exercise facilities indicated acceptance of them in their present physical state did not feel intimidated by health clubs or worksite exercise facilities.

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]]>The Intimidation Factor. Part 2http://www.weedcast.net/the-intimidation-factor-part-2.html
Sun, 14 Oct 2012 08:24:30 +0000http://www.weedcast.net/?p=533The cognitive system. The cognitive system includes five higher mental processes that have an impact on how the symbols attached to an exercise facility affects the consumer:

1) Understanding or interpreting the meaning of symbols and other aspects of the exercise facility that are important to the individual.

2) Evaluating or judging whether one aspect of the exercise facility, or one’s own behavior, is good or bad, positive or negative, favorable or unfavorable.

3) Planning how to solve a problem or reach a goal. For example, if weight loss is the goal, members are usually capable of planning a course of action to help them reach that goal.

4) Deciding by comparing alternative solutions to a problem and selecting the best alternative.

5) Thinking — the overall general cognitive activity that occurs during the previous four processes.

The cognitive system interprets aspects of personal experiences and the meaning of beliefs.

The relationship between affect and cognitive systems. At times, affective reactions to the environment can influence thinking processes during decision-making. At other times the cognitive system influences affective responses. For example, interpretation of information about exercise facilities, specifically the way advertisers use models to portray a facility, can trigger affective reactions. Models used in fitness ads are generally in such great shape that an overweight consumer often feels bad when looking at the models. The bottom line is that both affect and cognition are important concepts to consider when designing facility marketing strategies.

Previous exploratory research

Previous research on this topic used extensive exploratory interviews with inactive individuals to determine why they felt intimidated about trying certain types of sports or exercise programs.a,b These interviews suggested that four clusters of variables were impacting intimidation (see Figure 1). Three of these clusters are functional, relating to accessibility, learning environment and participation objectives. They are relatively easy to measure and are frequently discussed in marketing and sales tips.

The fourth cluster of variables relates to images inactive individuals have of themselves, of people with active lifestyles and of the type of movements an active lifestyle encompasses. From these images, individuals make comparisons between themselves and the exercise facility, and decide whether they will feel comfortable within that environment. In essence, these variables relate to the individual’s self-image and to the symbolic meanings associated with an active lifestyle. The symbolic nature of an exercise facility can result from advertising, the media, sport/fitness advocates and fashion leaders such as Jane Fonda.

Consumers interpreted six categories of symbols to evaluate how well they would fit into a fitness facility.

1) Age. Some exercise facilities have strong age symbols attached to them, causing people to believe that only a certain age group will fit in. Gyms have a younger image than a worksite fitness center or a fitness center attached to a tennis facility. The interpretation of age symbols and their conversion into feelings of intimidation relate to how “old” the individual feels. Fifty-year-old subjects who “feel young” interpret youth symbols as being less intimidating than those subjects who are more aware of “being 50.” An interesting, although yet statistically unproven, finding is that physically fit middle-aged consumers feel less intimidated by youth symbols than sedentary ones. Indeed, physically fit middle-aged consumers frequently find youth symbols desirable.

2) Cardiovascular fitness. Some activities have a high energy association and other activities have a low energy association. For example, consumers perceive running as requiring considerable endurance, whereas walking has a low cardiovascular symbol attached to it.

3) Athleticism (skill, knowledge, physical ability and coordination). People generally agree that walking on a treadmill requires very little athletic ability, but might disagree about the athletic ability required of lifting weights or aerobic dance, depending on their experiences. Assessment of athletic ability impacts the type of exercise or sport people will consider doing.

4) Socio-economic status. Some facilities contain a symbolic meaning of high or low socio-economic status. Tennis clubs usually have a higher socio-economic status meaning than a lower-end gym. Among gyms, there are distinct levels of socio-economic status, depending on location and its members.

5) Physique. Physical representations are important to people who are overweight, especially if they perceive that an activity requires an athletic physique or that present members are already in good shape. Physique symbols are particularly important to people who are self-conscious about their present physical shape.

6) Gender. Aerobic dance still suffers from the perception that it is a “feminine” activity. By dropping “dance” from the name, aerobics has developed a wider appeal. The translation of gender symbols into feelings of intimidation is associated with the desire to appear feminine or masculine, and not to gender per se.

These six representations aren’t the only triggers to cause feelings of intimidation, but they do appear to have a significant impact.

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Broadening the market for exercise facilities requires knowing how to remove the barriers that cause people to feel intimidated. A facility’s identity can be its first intimidating factor. Advertising messages, present members and the types of exercise offered are all images (or symbols) that portray a facility’s identity. For example, in consumers’ minds, these images may represent a facility as a “meat market,” a hard-core weightlifting environment, a place for yuppies, an inviting environment for seniors or a place for average folk. How well consumers believe they fit in with the identity of an exercise facility will have an impact on their behavior (i.e., whether they will come to your facility).

Psychological behaviors and marketing

Images influence consumers’ affect and cognition. These are different forms of psychological responses, and understanding them is crucial to effective exercise facility marketing. A feeling, such as intimidation, is an affective response. Thoughts and beliefs are cognitive responses and are not generally felt in the body. The beliefs people have about exercise facilities are cognitive in nature.

The affective system. There are generally five agreed-on basic characteristics of affective responses.

1) Affective responses are largely reactive. People who have thought about working out in an exercise facility generally have an automatic or reactive response to specific types of facilities when faced with advertising messages.

2) Because affective feelings are reactive, people will have little control over their feelings toward a facility — their response to the idea of working out there will be automatic.

3) Affective responses are felt physically. These feelings may range from intense emotions to the rather weak, often neutral reaction when the consumer makes a simple, unemotional evaluation of a facility.

4) The affective system can respond to virtually any type of stimulus, even to thoughts produced by the cognitive system. Beliefs consumers have about a facility are, therefore, important components of knowledge that will influence their decision-making behavior.

5) Most affective responses are learned or conditioned, and may vary widely across different social groups or even within social groups. It is not surprising, then, that individuals’ affective systems within a target market are likely to respond differently to the same stimulus. In other words, the same message can’t reach the entire target market. Instead, break the market up into segments depending on their learned or conditioned affective responses to your facility.

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]]>Playing God, a Funny Propositionhttp://www.weedcast.net/playing-god-a-funny-proposition.html
Thu, 11 Oct 2012 06:57:12 +0000http://www.weedcast.net/?p=528Only a month or two after my father passed away (it’s all a blur to me now), I went in for some lighthearted humor in Hermosa Beach, California at the Comedy and Magic Club where Jay Leno does his thing almost every Sunday night during the summer months.

Still feeling as though I was in a state of shock — my body hadn’t yet un-wound from the stress of law school finals, starting up in the new summer semester only after a week’s vacation, knowing that I was way too grief stricken to stand a chance of keeping my scholarship, and of course dealing with the shock of seeing my father’s innocent face as he lay on his death bed after his year and a half battle with multiple myeloma. In other words, I still felt dismantled, a little numb, and removed from the world. I was not entirely present, and still experienced flashbacks of the hospital room when I arrived only 10 minutes after my father’s passing away. My friends brought me to the comedy club to make me smile again.

I was hoping that a little bit of comedy would loosen me up in fact, helping me to get my sense of humor back and to distract me from the pain of my grief with a little bit of laughter – I can always count on the Comedy and Magic Club for a good laugh.

One of the first jokes Jay Leno came out with dealt with death.

“Oh boy! Just what I wanted to hear, just a little bit of sentiment to get my tears flowing, oh geez, … get me out of here, … I cannot believe this, … how did Jay know that I was coming tonight, crap, I don’t want to get all sad again, … this is not fair,” I thought.

Now I know the joke is all in the delivery and I know I cannot possibly say it in the same exact words as Jay, but here I go with my own version:

Isn’t it funny how people think they have the power to make the decisions of God? When my neighbor’s grandmother died from a heart attack, they might have thought, “Oh, what a shame. She was how old? … 96, oh, well alright then.”

“Your Uncle Larry had a stroke? He was 75? Oh well, he lived a nice long life, (thumbs down, let him go!)”.

“Joe Schmo passed away last night, … yeah, that’s too bad, but at least he made it to sixty-eight and managed to have a few years of retirement, let him go.”

To tell you the truth, I cannot remember the exact words of the joke, but I hope you get the general idea. A few tears welled up in my eyes as I chuckled about the appropriateness and timeliness of his joke. I felt the silence in the theater, as I am sure some of the older folks in the crowd had gone through the same thing in their lives.

Who has the right say whether or not it isn’t such a big deal when a loved one leaves us? It’s true that people mean well when they say, “Oh, he was seventy-seven? Well, he lived a full life and his time was due.” I suspect they realize that no matter the age, that person will be missed and the family did not want that person to go. Yes, we know our lost loved ones are in a better place, but it still makes us sad to think of their suffering and wonder how they are doing now.

I just think it’s pretty funny that, as Jay Leno might utter on stage, “Some people think they have the right to play God.”

]]>Getting Started In Track and Fieldhttp://www.weedcast.net/getting-started-in-track-and-field.html
Wed, 03 Oct 2012 05:30:56 +0000http://www.weedcast.net/?p=524Here are some tips for getting yourself started in this exciting, rewarding sport. When I stop to trace my steps in the sport of track and field, the first picture that comes to mind is of myself as a young child running pell mell through the woods (or a meadow or at the beach or wherever I happened to be at the time), jumping over logs, racing against the wind just for the sake of feeling my body exert itself, propelling itself forward.

I can still recall the exhilaration I felt whenever I let myself run full tilt. I would pretend I was the fastest track athlete in the world, flying through the air, leaping with no thought for landing style or grace. I raced the wind. I was the wind.

Now, I’m much slower, and I’m usually pushing my two children in a running stroller, but the thoughts of breathtaking speed are still there. One of my greatest hopes is that my children will develop the same passion for track and field that I once held and still harbor somewhere in my aging body. In fact, as I was researching the Masters Track and I realized that, while I may not run quite so impetuously as I did when I was a child, I could still manage to compete in my current age group. The question is how to accomplish this without taking too much time away from the other aspects of my life such as motherhood, work, my marriage, etc.

To answer this, I’ve devised a simple formula of sorts that I’d like to share with you. Revise it as necessary to fit your life. To begin, I realized that I might need some support and encouragement to achieve my goal, so my first step was to discuss my plan with my husband and family. After all, I would need help not only with childcare while I’m training, but every so often I might need someone to jumpstart my motivation if I’m having a less-than-energetic day. This support can take many forms; so don’t limit yourself to my solution.

Next, I came up with a concrete goal: to run more races. I plan to start with the shorter races such as the 5K and 10K. Once I feel comfortable with those and am in better shape, I will try a half-marathon and then the big one, the marathon. Since the big one is still several months ahead of me, I will concentrate on the first part of this goal.

To do this, I need to determine what kind of shape I am in currently. Because I try to run five days a week for anywhere from three to eight miles per run, I figure that I am in decent shape and ought to be able to handle a short race. So, I will choose my race, preferably one that is local and occurring within two to three weeks. There are many different places that I could check to find a race.

While my current running schedule is sufficient for fun runs, should I decide to compete more seriously in races or other track and field events, there are a variety of places to find training tips and coaching. Many of these are easily accessed online. Check out the featured links on this Web site for some suggestions. And, good luck. May your feet be swift and may you feel like a child again.